1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to seal applicator devices, and more particularly, to a sealing apparatus which applies seals, such as pressure relief valves, over a pressure relief passage in a container so as to allow for the release of excessive internal pressures which may accumulate therewithin.
2. Background Art
Seal applicators of the type for applying seals to containers have been available for many years. Indeed, one type of applicator has been used to apply pressure relief valves to bags and/or bag material which are to be filled with a product, such as freshly ground coffee, intended to be substantially sealed within the bag. Inasmuch as freshly ground coffee emits carbon dioxide, the bag should include a pressure relief passage for enabling the release of the internal pressure which would otherwise build up within the bag. Although merely puncturing a hole in the bag will effectively release such pressure, pressure relief valves have been applied over the hole for obvious sanitary purposes.
Typically, prior art seal applicators have applied seals/valves to bags, bag material and/or containers, through the use of a position oriented suction cup-like member which operates to release and transfer a pressure relief valve from a web of valves, carried by a carrier strip, toward and into attachment over the pressure relief passage in the bag. Such applicators position the suction cup adjacent a particular valve to be removed from the carrier strip, and then maintain the suction cup below and in operative contact with the valve as the carrier strip is being pulled toward the direction of the bag/container. As the carrier strip is being pulled, the valve will eventually release from the carrier strip where it is then intended to be secured solely to the suction cup as a result of the suction imparted thereto. The suction cup and valve are then automatically positioned adjacent the bag where the valve is to be releasably pushed into aligned attachment with the bag.
Although such prior art devices have disclosed automatic and synchronized positioning of a valve, or other type of seal, over a pressure relief passage of a bag/container, such prior art neither teaches nor suggests the forced transfer of a valve toward and into displaceable retention members for releasably securing the valve adjacent an applicator surface, and/or, wherein the retention members displaceably release the valve for attachment to the bag upon operative movement of the applicator surface--without reliance upon suction caused by a vacuum.
Furthermore, the use of a suction cup for facilitating release, and then attachment, of a valve to a bag has resulted in a great deal of wasted valves, coupled with the inadvertent production of filled bags which do not have valves attached thereto. Indeed, inasmuch as such prior art relies upon suction for maintaining the valve in position during transfer and attachment, dirt which may accumulate upon the surface of the suction cup has been known to hinder such suction--thereby resulting in valves falling off of the suction cup prior to attachment to a bag/container. Accordingly, inasmuch as conventional valves have been known to be relatively expensive, dropped and/or incorrectly aligned valves (resulting from poor suction) will not only result in a loss of money spent, but it can also result in extended "down time" associated with cleaning the suction cup, and with respect to curing the problems associated with bags which have been inadvertently filled and sealed either without pressure relief valves, and/or with valves which had been attached out of operative alignment with the pressure relief passage.